Old Friend...New Problems Part 1
by Mel1
Summary: My idea of how the next season would start. It is written three months after the morp, so summer has ended. It is also written under the assumption that Scott came back only to take Shelby to the morp, but that will come out later.
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters nor have I ever claimed to. I am just borrowing them temporarily for my own enjoyment to create something for your enjoyment. 

This is my first fan-fic, so please leave your reviews, either positive or negative, as well as ideas on where you would like to see the story go in the future. I'm also looking for a better title so if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know.

This story picks up where the last season ended.

"OK, great. We'll see you when you get here." Peter said before hanging up the phone. Sophie had come in while he was on the phone and was waiting patiently in a chair on the other side of his desk for him to get off the phone.

"Was that Kat? Is she coming back already?"

"No…that wasn't Kat."

"Oh," she said, "is there any word on when we should be expecting her back?"

"I think she has one more week of training and then she is going to go home for a week and then she is coming back here."

"That's good. She certainly has been missed around here. Who would have thought that Kat would want to become a counselor here? I would have thought she would have been looking forward to being out in the real world."

"She's an amazing kid. More so then anyone has ever given her credit for and I think she was grateful for everything that Horizon has done for her that she wanted to give something back. Heck, she has been in the position that many of these kids are in right now and she felt that there was really something she could offer them."

"I think it is a great opportunity for her to grow even more then she already has. So, who was on the phone?" Sophie asked.

"What? Oh, the phone. That was Scott's dad."

"When is Scott coming back."

"His dad is bringing him up tomorrow."

"Have you told anyone yet that he is coming back?"

"Nope. I asked Jeff to find Shelby and ask her to come here. I thought I should tell her first considering that she and well, you know. But after I told her I figured I would let the rest of the Cliffhangers in on the little surprise."

"Then I guess I will get out of here and let you get back to work and try and plan out exactly how you are going to tell her. Besides I've got group to conduct soon."

"OK, but do me a favor and hold off the start of group for a few minutes. If this thing doesn't go too badly, I don't want Shelby to be left out."

"No problem." Sophie said before getting up from the chair and heading for the door.

"Hey Soph," Peter called to her at the door.

"Yeah," she asked turning back to face him.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Nothing that can't wait until later. You have plenty of things to worry about right now. Anyway, Good luck with Shelby."

"Thanks. I think I am going to need all the luck I can get."

"Do you want me to stay to offer moral support?"

"No. I think this might be easier on Shelby if we do this one on one. You know how she hides her emotions in a crowd. Besides, you need to get to the rest of the Cliffhangers."

"OK, but I wasn't worried about how Shelby needing moral support. I was talking about you." She said with a slight giggle before she left.

Peter wasn't alone for more then a few minutes to ponder how he was going to tackle telling Shelby the news when he heard a knock on the door jam. Looking up he saw Shelby standing there looking rather confused.

"Hey Peter, you wanted to see me?" Shelby asked, standing in the doorway to Peter's office.

"Yes I did. Come in and sit down." He said stepping out from behind his desk and directing her towards the couch.

"OK, but I've got group in like five minutes," she said gesturing towards the lounge where group is normally conducted.

"Don't worry about it. Sophie knows you are here and she is holding group until you show, so don't worry about missing anything."

"Trust me, I wasn't worried about missing group," she said with a laugh.

As the two sat on the couch Peter tried numerous times to tell her about the phone call he had received this morning. While it was not school policy to share these things with students, he felt that she had a right to know considering that she was the one in the group that would be most affected. 

"So, did I do something wrong?" She asked confused about why she was called into Peter's office and his inability to tell her what was going on.

"No, nothing wrong at all. I didn't call you in here because you are in trouble. In fact, I wanted to let you know that we have noticed a change in your attitude lately for the positive and I am glad you are finally making some improvement. I realize the beginning of summer was rough for you, but you have really turned things around."

"Thanks Peter. I have tried really hard not to let the thing with Scott continue to consume my life. He left. He did what any one of us would have done in his position and I hope that things are working out well for him. He deserves to be happy and he deserves a relationship with his father."

"That is a very mature way for you to look at things. Anyway, I wanted to let you know about a phone call I received this morning."

"It's not Jess again is it?"

"No, Jess is fine. It's just…it's well," Peter fumbled around before blurting out, "Scott's coming back."

Shelby just sat there for a few moments, speechless, looking as though she had been run over by a truck. 

"Are you OK Shel?" Peter asked moving closer to put an arm around her, but she managed to move away from him just in time.

"I'm fine. What do I care if he comes back or not."

"Come on Shelby, let's not go there."

Getting up from the couch, she made a beeline towards the door at which point she turned around to say "I've gotta get to group but thanks for the heads up about Scott." And then she left.

By the time that Peter got up from the couch and made his way to the hallway, Shelby had disappeared from sight.

Back in the lodge the rest of the Cliffhangers were getting restless. "Hey Sophie," Ezra called, "are we having group today or not?"

Glancing down at her watch, Sophie realized that group was to have started 35 minutes ago. She could not help but wonder how Shelby had taken the news, or if Peter had even gotten around to telling her yet considering she wasn't here yet. As she was deep in thought, she was snapped out of it and brought back to reality by Daisy when she heard her calling "Earth to Sophie, come in Sophie."

With her attention back on the Cliffhangers, Sophie decided it was best to cancel group for today. It only took her a few moments before she realized that by canceling group she could go help Peter with Shelby who was probably taking the news pretty hard. "OK, we are not going to have group today. Instead I want you guys to stay here until dinner and work on your essays."

"What essays?" Juliet asked.

"The ones I am about to assign to you if you would stop interrupting. 300 words. The thing I fear most in life is … due Friday." With that Sophie took off from the lodge and headed straight for Peter's office. 

Back in the lodge, Daisy could be heard muttering, "Geez, I wonder what her issue is. You would think that someone just committed suicide the way she took off running out of here."

"God Daisy, do you always have to be so grotesque?" Auggie asked. "Anyway, I think it must have something to do with the fact that Shelby didn't show up for group today."

"I heard she was called into Peter's office. I'll bet she's in big trouble," Juliet said in a sing song voice and a big smile on her face.

"Chill Jules, you don't always have to take such joy in Shelby's pain." Auggie said.

"I can't help it. It just comes naturally to me."

Desperately searching for a way to change the subject, Auggie turned towards Ezra and asked, "So, E-Z, what's your biggest fear in life?"

"The thought of writing this paper."

When Sophie arrived at Peter's office he was back sitting behind his desk only this time he had his face buried in his hands rubbing his temples.

"Tired?" Sophie asked coming behind his desk and chair where she began massaging his shoulders.

"It's been a tough afternoon. So, how's Shelby?"

"You tell me. I thought for sure I was going to find her in here with you and I came to provide some moral support."

"You mean she didn't show up for group?"

"No," she said as she managed to maneuver him around so that she could sit on his lap. "I assumed that you two were in here talking the whole time and that she was taking it harder then we imagined that she would."

It was weird Soph. After I told her, she just sat there for a few moments and then she got up and left claiming not to want to be late for group.

Getting up from his lap, "how long ago?" she asked?

"About 45 minutes ago, maybe an hour."

"I'll go check the dorms. You don't think she'd run, do you?" Sophie said with a sense of urgency.

"No. I don't think running is really Shelby's style. Horizon has always been her safe haven from the world. I'm guessing that she just wants to be alone for awhile."

"I hope you're right." Sophie said and then she was gone leaving Peter to deal with his worst thoughts. The only thing running through his head was the same thing running through Sophie's: God I hope she didn't run.


	2. Default Chapter Title

Once Shelby left Peter's office and hit the front lawn, she began to run towards the woods. She ran so fast and so hard that she thought her legs were going to collapse from the pain, but that didn't stop her. She needed to get away and be alone. When she could run no further, she sat down against a tree and the tears just started to pour out. What would things be like when she finally saw him again, she thought? Could they possibly go back to the way they were before he left? No! How on earth could things go back to the way they were? Too much had changed. The night of the morp changed everything. It had changed who they were. She was up at the old abandoned cabin when Scott walked in and she went up to him and gave him the most passionate kiss she had ever given a guy and pulled him in the general direction of the bed.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"Shhhh," she whispered, putting her finger up to his lips.

When they made it over to the bed, Shelby laid down first before pulling Scott on top of her where they continued to kiss for a few more minutes. 

"Shelby. We can't do this." Scott said pulling himself away from her.

"Do what?"

"This…we can't do this. We can't make a stupid mistake and let things go too far."

"Whoever said this was a mistake. I know I certainly didn't." She said starting to get upset with him for running the mood. More then anything, Shelby was upset because for the first time in her life she was offering herself to a man she loved with all of her heart and here she was being turned down. Rejected. A feeling Shelby certainly was not familiar with.

"I can't do this. Not here. Not now."

"You mean not with me, don't you? You still can't accept me and who I am and what my past was, can you?"

"It's not that Shelby. It's not you at all. It's me. It's all about me."

"That Elaine thing still has you all messed up in the head, doesn't it?"

"Yes, no. It's not that really. It's just that, well, I am, um," he stuttered a few times before just saying it. "I'm still going home Shel."

"What?" she asked unable to control her emotions?

"Home. I'm still planning on going home tomorrow."

"Why did you come back then?" she could not help but asking. She had to know why exactly he came back tonight.

"Because I love you and I thought you should have the opportunity to go to a prom and I thought we should have one last night together that was special and meaningful to both of us."

"You are so unbelievable," she said hysterically.

"Would you have rather that I didn't come back?"

"That's just it Scott. You're not back. You're just visiting." She said now sitting on the edge of the bed crying. 

"I'm sorry Shel, but I need to give things a chance with my dad. I owe it to him and I owe it to myself to know if we can work things out or know if Elaine was just the catalyst in a really bad relationship." He said now sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulders.

"I know, but I need you here with me. How am I supposed to survive here without you?"

"You're going to be fine. You are such a fighter that you don't need me for anything."

"That's where you are wrong Scott. I need you for more then you will ever know." She said as she put her head on his shoulder and they just sat there quietly for awhile.

After awhile Scott looked down at his watch and realized just how late it had gotten. "We should probably start heading back. If Peter and Sophie do a bed check and we aren't there, you are going to be in so much trouble and I'll probably never get to leave this place."

"And that would be so bad because…" she asked knowing that he was really going to leave tomorrow whether she liked it or not and any amount of punishment would not matter because she has absolutely nothing to look forward to anymore.

"Let's not go there again Shel. Please."

As they walked out of the cabin, neither said a word. What was there left to say? After a few steps, Scott reached down and gently placed his hand in Shelby's and entertwined their fingers. They both walked back to the dorms like that silently. Once they arrived, they both went their separate ways with just a look that said it all. They were going to miss each other more then the other would ever know. As they continued towards their respective dorms, their fingers slowly separated.

Just the thought of seeing Scott again stirred up emotions in Shelby that she just wasn't ready to deal with yet. Surely Scott would expect them to go back to being a couple that is unless he already had a girlfriend. That was something else Shelby wasn't ready to deal with.

"Shelby! Shelby! Are you out here?"

"Son of a, " she said looking up to see Juliet coming in her direction. "What are you doing here?"

"We were in the lodge when I saw you run by and then when Peter came in and asked if anyone had seen you…" she said before being cut off.

"You didn't tell him you saw me did you?"

"Do you see him here?" Juliet asked getting a bit annoyed at Shelby's comments. "So, what are you doing out here? Did you get in big trouble with Peter? Is that why you weren't in group? Is that why you ran?" 

"Chill Princess. I don't have to tell you anything. I came out here to be alone. Get it?"

"So, what did Peter want to talk to you about?"

"None of your business."

"Wait a minute," Juliet said getting excited. "There is only one thing, rather one person capable of making you act like this. It's Scott isn't it? Did he call to break up with you?"

"There was no relationship to break up." Shelby said without looking up.

"So it was Scott. I knew it."

"Good-bye Juliet." Shelby said with a tone that said it all and Jules knew not to push her. Shelby usually called her names, but this time she referred to her by her real name. 

"Fine. I can take a hint. Besides, I'm not going to get in trouble because of you. You're aren't worth a month on shunts." She said before getting up and leaving Shelby alone in the woods.


	3. Default Chapter Title

"You guys aren't going to believe what I just heard," Juliet said pushing her tray of food as far away from her as possible.

"What?" Daisy asked.

"I know why Shelby wasn't in group and I know what Peter wanted to talk to her about."

"Well, Jules. Don't keep us all in suspense. Are you going to tell us or not?"

"It's just that," she started to say before being interrupted by a booming voice behind her.

"OK Cliffhangers, listen up. Since it looks like you are all done with dinner, I want all of you to come with me to the lodge. I have a few things I need to discuss with you guys," He said as he began to look around the room noticing that one person was noticeably absent. "Anyone know where Shelby is?"

"She said she wasn't hungry so she stayed back in the dorms," Juliet said upset that she had been unable to share her news.

Peter then turned towards Sophie who was standing behind him and asked if she would mind going to get Shelby and meet them in the lodge. With just a simple nod of the head Sophie was gone and Peter was left to corral this group and get them moving to the lodge. There was no way he was going to share this announcement in front of the entire school in the cafeteria. It was by far a delicate matter and needed to be handled that way. He saw how Shelby took the news and there was no telling how the others would take it as well.

"Why aren't we up and moving towards the door?" Peter asked the Cliffhangers. Before they had an opportunity to bemoan the idea of group after dinner Peter shot them all a look that was quickly interpreted that if they did not get out that door 30 seconds ago then they would all be chopping wood indefinitely. They all got up and walked out the door leaving behind the chatter of the cafeteria who were by now talking about how all the Cliffhangers must be in big trouble if Peter wanted to see them at this hour. Not long after they left, the noise of the cafeteria had become a distant memory as well as the news that Juliet was going to share with them.

Shelby was in the dorm lying on her bed when Sophie came in. She quickly wiped the tears from her face and hoped that Sophie would not be able to tell that she had been crying.

"Shelby, get up. Peter needs to talk to you."

"We talked earlier and I believe I heard everything he had to say and more,' she said still lying on her bed with her back to Sophie.

"He has called a meeting of the Cliffhangers and your attendance is mandatory, so come on and get up. And loose the tude unless you want to be on kitchens for a month."

"Fine," she said. "Can I go to the bathroom first?" She said with a slight tone of sarcasm.

"Yeah, but make it quick. Everyone's waiting on you."

Shelby got up and headed to the bathroom without making eye contact with Sophie. When she looked at herself in the mirror she was glad she had been able to avoid eye contact because her cheeks were tear stained and her make-up had run horribly. She turned on the faucet and quickly washed her face as well as washing away any evidence that she had been crying. Drying her hands and her face, Shelby then went out to meet Sophie who was waiting just outside the door and the two headed out towards the main lodge. Sophie tried numerous times to engage Shelby in conversation, but it was made quite clear that she wasn't up for talking.

"Hey Peter, what's the meaning of this meeting. After dinner is supposed to be our free time." Ezra asked after getting frustrated that he had been called away after dinner and then forced to sit here and wait for Shelby before Peter would start the meeting.

"We'll start when," he began to say before looking up in the doorway and seeing the last member of the group had finally shown up. "Nevermind, she's here. Come in Shelby and join the group."

I don't see why I have to be here. I already know everything you have to say and don't care to hear it again thank you every much," she muttered under her breath.

"Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the group?" Peter asked even though he had heard every word she just said. Knowing that she had had a tough day, he cut her some slack and allowed her to vent for just a minute.

"No," she said sharply before walking off to the corner away from everyone, yet still close enough that Peter would not single her out and make her move closer to the group.

"Well, not that we are all here, I have a very important announcement to make. I received a phone call this morning, and well, and uh," he stumbled a few times.

"Just cut to the chase Peter. What's the big news?"

Peter decided that after the way Shelby took the news, the best idea was to be quick about it, almost like ripping off a Band-Aid. The faster you do it the less painful it is. "Scott's coming back."

This stirred up commotion among everyone except Shelby who continued to sit in the corner not talking to anyone and not reacting when Peter made his big announcement.

"When? Why?" they all seemed to ask in unison.

"I'm not going to get into the specifics of it all with you right now. If Scott wants to share that with you he will, but I will let you know that he should arrive some time tomorrow. What I really want to discuss with you which is the reason I am telling you guys is that I want to put him back in the Cliffhangers with you. I think that is the best place for him, but I won't do it if any of you have any reservations about it. This is a unique situation, but because I think you guys know so much about what has gone on with him it might be best for him not to have to open up and learn to trust other people with his past and I would never expect any of you to do unless you felt really comfortable with the idea."

When no one said anything, Peter said "OK, as long as no one has a problem with this you are all free to go, but I want you to know that Sophie and I are hear in case any of you need to talk about this." 

Back in the dorms there was the constant commotion of trying to get ready to be on top of the excitement that Scott was coming back that nobody noticed that Shelby still had not come inside. When she said that she wanted to be alone for a few minutes no one thought anything of it and didn't push the issue, but in the hour since they left the lodge and she still had not come back in, Daisy started to worry. Just when she was about to go out and check on her and make sure she was indeed still out there, the door opened and Shelby walked in. Without a word to anyone she went over to her closet and pulled out a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

"Shouldn't someone go in and make sure she is OK?" Juliet asked.

"Nah," Daisy said. "She'll be out soon enough." Just as Daisy was finishing her sentence out walked Shelby. In an effort to change the subject away from Scott, Daisy turned towards Shelby and asked, "So, what is your topic for the essay going to be?"

"What essay," she asked half-heartedly.

"That's right. You weren't at group today. Sophie assigned another one of her 'get in touch with your inner self' essays on your greatest fear in life." Daisy explained.

"Great. Just what I need." She said before pulling down the covers on her bed and climbing in. Juliet and Daisy took this as a hint that she didn't feel like talking anymore, so they turned the lights off and went to sleep. Tomorrow was most certainly going to be an emotional day for everyone so going to bed early didn't seem to bother anyone.


	4. Default Chapter Title

On the drive up, Scott couldn't help but feel the difference between the last time and this time. After all, this time he had decided this was where he needed to be as opposed to being dragged up here kicking and screaming and handcuffed like he was last time. Even though it had been his decision to come back this time, Scott could not help but wonder if he had made the right choice. After all, he had been gone for the past three months. What if he could not fit back in? What if everyone had moved on without him? What if Shelby had moved on without him? What if they were all still mad at him for leaving in the first place? All those questions quickly vanished from his mind as the car pulled into the driveway and Scott noticed a familiar face sitting on the front steps eagerly awaiting his arrival. 

Getting out of the car, Scott was met by Peter. "Hey Scott, good to have you back. We've missed you around here."

"It's good to be back Peter."

"What do you say we try to get you through intake as quickly as possible so that we can get you settled in?"

"Sounds good." Scott said as he turned towards the car to get his bags out. 

"What about me Scott?" another voice asked.

"What about you dad? Thanks for the ride."

Peter could sense the tension that was building between father and son and decided he should step in before things got worse. "Mr. Baringer, when Scott called and asked if he could come back, he explained a little bit of what had been going on at home, and well, I think it would be for the best if you gave him some time to get reaccustomed to life here."

"Fine, whatever you say Mr. Scarbrow. I honestly thought things were getting better between us, but apparently I was wrong."

"No dad…things were never getting better between us."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that from the moment I walked out of here your only goal was for me to play football again. You never wanted to work on our relationship. You always held me responsible for what Elaine did to me. You thought I brought it on and the only thing that was important to you was football."

Stepping in between father and son, Peter was able to stop the two from coming to blows. "Guys, stop NOW! Scott, get your bags and wait for me on the steps. Mr. Baringer, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. I'll call you in a few days and let you know how things are going." With that, Peter picked up two of the bags sitting by the car and walked over to where Scott was waiting for him. Mr. Baringer stood there for a few moments before getting back in his car and speeding off leaving a cloud of dust behind. 

As they began to walk through the main lodge Scott turned towards Peter and thanked him.

"For what?" Peter asked.

"Dealing with my father. Making him go away."

"No problem. This place exists only when you feel safe and secure and he was invading that feeling. My first priority is to make sure you don't loose that feeling."

"So what now?"

"Well, we have to check your bags, then you will have a pre-admitdance medical exam and then we will get you a bunk and let you unpack. I'm going to put you back in the Cliffhangers group if that's all right with you."

"I don't think those guys want me back?"

"What do you mean? I think that for the most part they will be glad to see you back."  
"For the most part? Shelby doesn't want to see me does she?"

"That's not what I said Scott. I think it came as a surprise to everyone that you came back and it's going to take some getting used to, that's all." Arriving at the intake room, it was just as Scott had remembered it. A small window a table and two chairs and not much else. It's a comfort to know some things don't change. "Why don't you take a seat while I start looking through your stuff."

"You're changing the subject Peter. What's up with Shelby?"

"The sooner we get through this part, the sooner you can get unpacked. So, when's the last time you used?"

"What?"

"Drugs? When the last time you used?"

"God Peter, I don't do that anymore and you of all people should know that. Check my bags all you want but you are not going to find anything in there."

"Chill Scott. You know the routine. I have to check for the safety of everyone here. Not just for you. Now, why don't you take your shoes off and once we check those we can move on."

As Scott took off his shoes Peter gave him the same speech he had the first time he arrived at Mt. Horizon. "I know you know everything I am about to tell you but as a new student, it is policy that I inform you that Horizon is a safe place and because of that there is no sex, drugs or violence here. There is also no inappropriate touching of any kind. As you also know anything said to either myself or to one of the other counselors here is confidential unless there is reason to suspect harm towards someone else or harm against yourself. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. You know how it all works here and you are going to fit back in just fine." Peter then zipped up the last bag and handed it to Scott. "Shall we go?"

Arriving at the dorm he had called home three months earlier, Scott paused at the bottom of the steps. After a slight hesitation he walked up the steps and through the door Peter had been holding open and into an empty dorm. His moment of truth with his old bunkmates would come later.

"Your old bed is free if you would like it back," Peter said trying to ease the obvious discomfort Scott had been feeling. 

"Sure, thanks." Scott said dropping his belongings on his bed. Looking around he realized at this place had not changed much since he left.

"They are in class right now, but should be back soon. It was as if Peter could read his mind. "You have an appointment with the doctor in an hour and before I forget Sophie assigned the Cliffhangers a paper the other day. 300 words on your greatest fear, so if there is nothing else you need, I'll see you around later."

"Just one thing Peter, how is Shelby?"

"Let's just say she hasn't been the same since you left."

"Does she know I'm back?"

"Yeah, We told her the other day. We told them all. Anything else?"

When Scott shook his head No, Peter left him alone to deal with his demons.


	5. Default Chapter Title

Walking into the cafeteria for the first time in three months it became painfully obvious to Scott that is was going to be a little more difficult then he had ever imagined to readjust to life at Horizon. The loud chattering that existed moments before was now nothing more then a dull whisper as all eyes appeared to now be focused on him. While most of these people were undoubtedly thinking he was back because he couldn't hack it in the real world there were a few out there that did not know his past and just assumed that he was new blood and would therefore be easy to take advantage of. After Scott had made it through the lunch line, he turned and surveyed the crowd, unsure about where he should sit. Should he join the rest of the Cliffhangers? Should he just assume that he wasn't welcome and sit by himself? All questions were answered when Auggie, called out, "Hey, Meat. Over here." As Scott sat down with his back facing the door, the entire cafeteria went silent and all eyes turned to the entrance and Shelby, who took one look at Scott before grabbing her food and heading to a table by herself as far away from Scott as she could manage.

"Don't worry about her Scott. She'll come around eventually. You're coming back caught us all by surprise. Not just her." Ezra said in an effort to ease his uncomfortableness.

"Yeah, whatever." He said as his gaze continued to drift in Shelby's direction. Once she realized that Scott was looking at her, she got rid of her dishes and left the cafeteria. As much as she thought she was ready to see him again and to talk to him again, she was wrong. All the emotion attached to his return hit her one hundred times harder then she ever thought possible. "Hey guys, will you excuse me?"

"Yo man. Just let her go." Auggie persuaded.

"No. I gotta talk to her." He said and was gone before anyone could stop him.

"So, do you think she's going to talk to him," Juliet asked once Scott was gone.

"Not a chance," Daisy said assuredly.

Shelby ran all the way back to the dorms and was so caught up in seeing Scott for the first time that she didn't hear him behind her calling her name. By the time that Scott finally caught up with her she was already in the darkest part of the dorm, sitting on the floor in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest, trying to disappear into the darkness.

"Shelby, are you in here?" he called before finally spotting her.

"Go away," she demanded without even looking up at him.

"Come on Shel. Talk to me."

"I said go away!" she said getting angrier then before.

"Fine, but you are going to have to talk to me sooner or later." He said before turning and heading to the door.

"The later the better," she mumbled, but by then Scott was already out of earshot.

Having been turn down in his effort to talk to Shelby, Scott dejectedly went to find some of the other Cliffhangers. Maybe someone could enlighten him as to what Shelby went through over the summer as Peter left him to believe that Shelby had gone through some tough times right after he left. The last thing Scott really wanted on his first afternoon back was to be alone to torment himself about Shelby or about the summer with his father. When he walked into his dorm he saw Auggie and Ezra sitting on their respective beds working on some sort of paper.

"Whatcha guys doing?"

"Essay Sophie assigned in group yesterday," Auggie said not looking up so he would not loose his current train of thought.

"Oh, that. Peter told me about it earlier. Something about our greatest fear right?" Scott said making his way over to his bed.

"Yeah," Ezra said as he put his books away and looked up at Scott. "So, you gonna tell us what you did to land yourself back here?"

"Coming back was my choice, but in short, it was here or the system."

"So, what was going on?"

"Things just weren't working out at home. So, what has been going on with Shelby since I left?" He asked trying to change the subject away from him for just a few moments.

"To make a long story short, at first she was just a plain bitch to be around, but then one day she changed. Just like that she was being pleasant. It was like she had finally come to terms with you leaving, but then yesterday after she found out you were coming back she just went into silent mode and hasn't talked to anyone since. She won't even hang out with us anymore," Ezra said in an attempt to quickly fill Scott in on the Shelby details of the last three months.

"That doesn't say a whole lot, but thanks."

"Look man, if you want to know what is going on with Shelby, then go and talk to Shelby. It's not our job to let you know what she has been doing since the minute you left."

"Chill Auggie. I was just asked a question. Where is this tude coming from?"

Putting his stuff away, Auggie then turned his attention to Scott. "You come. You go. You come. You go. Make up your mind Scott. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am so sick and tired of the saga of Scott and how long is he going to stay, but more then that I am sick of the soap opera that is your relationship with Shelby. You leave and we are left to pick up the pieces and I know that I am personally getting sick and tired of it. Face it Scott, the world does not revolve around you and your feelings for Shelby." Auggie then got up and left the dorm, not giving Scott any opportunity to respond.

Not long after Auggie left, Scott did the same as he and Ezra were left speechless by Auggie's little tirade. Scott walked around the campus alone for a little while before deciding to go and hunt Peter down. It was obvious from both Auggie and Shelby's reaction to him that he was not welcome back in the Cliffhangers group, no matter how much Peter insisted that things would be all right. After checking both in his office and in the main lodge, to no avail, Scott decided to sit and wait on the front steps for him to show up.

"Hey stranger," he heard from behind him.

"Hey, Jules. How are things going?"

"Not too bad. How about yourself?"

"I'm beginning to think coming back was a mistake."

"Why's that?" she asked in a concerning tone.

"Well, obviously because of Shelby, but just now Auggie went off on me for no good reason."

"That doesn't sound like something Auggie would do."

"I know. That's why it caught me so off guard. It was really weird Jules, but that is not what I am really worried about. I know that Auggie and I will move past this, but I don't think Shelby and I are going to. She won't even talk to me. I can tell that she is mad at me, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I thought she would be happy that I came back for good."

"The best advice that I can offer you is to try and see things from her perspective Scott. And Auggie's too." Juliet said, patting him on the knee as a sign of support before leaving.

As he sat there alone, Juliet's advice rang through his head. Look at things from their perspective. 

It had become impossible for Scott to forget the night of the morp. After all, it was the night that brought him both so much happiness as well as so much pain. It was hard for him to see at the time, but he hurt Shelby so much that night. He set her up for the disappointment that she felt. Not only that, but he did it for the second time in as many days. It was no wonder she refused to see him now.

It was easy once he thought about it to see where Shelby's anger came from. He never even gave it a second thought when he showed up at the morp that she would expect that he was going to stay at Horizon and he certainly wasn't going to tell her right then when she was so excited to see him. 

The entire school was outside enjoying a meteor shower when she noticed him for the first time. "Why did you come back?" she asked with a smile on her face, excited to see him.

"Because…Because I love you!" He said before pulling her into his arms and giving her a huge hug. 

Once the meteor shower was over, the two managed to sneak away from the group to get some time alone. "I have never been happier to see anyone in my whole entire life," she said as they walked away into the darkness arm in arm. 

"Same here," Scott said as he stopped and pulled Shelby in close to him and gave her a kiss. 

"Hey! Where do you to think you are going?" a voice from behind them asked.

"Nowhere Peter," Scott said as he was looking at Shelby with a guilty smile. "I was just…"

"Yeah, I know what you were just gonna do. Look. Just because tonight is a special night does not mean you can ignore the rules we have around here. Now you can have a few more minutes to enjoy the night, but then you need to get back to the dorms. Lights out in one hour."

"Thanks Peter," Shelby called. 

"Night guys," he said. "Oh and Scott…"

"Yeah Peter?"

"It's good to see you again." He said before disappearing into the darkness.

"Maybe we should head back," Scott suggested.

"Probably, but what do you think about meeting up at the abandoned cabin after lights out."

"I wouldn't miss that for the world."

Scott waited until he thought everyone was asleep before he got dressed and headed out to meet Shelby. On his way up there he could not help but wonder if he was doing the right thing, but in the end he realized that they had to be alone before he could tell her. That was the only way she might even begin to understand. When he finally arrived at the path that veered up towards the cabin, he looked down to see that it was covered in rose petals. I guess Shelby's here, he thought. He reached for the door and took a deep breath before knocking on it.

"Come in," he heard her call from the other side.

After one more quick, deep breath he opened the door and walked in on the most romantic scene he had ever been witness too.

"Scott! Scott!" Peter called trying to snap him out of his obvious daydream.

"Huh? Oh, hey Peter," Scott said realizing that Peter was standing right in front of him.

"Heard you were looking for me. What can I do you for?"

"Well, it's just that I would like you to put me in a different group."

"Why's that?"

"They don't want me there and I don't want to be where I'm not wanted."

"Things just too difficult for you Scott?"

"Yeah Peter. You didn't see them."

"God Scott! Is that how it's always going to be with you? Whenever things get difficult or don't go your way you're going to bail?"

"It's not like that Peter?"

"Then how is it Scott because how I see it right now this is just a challenge for you to get adjusted to them and for them to get adjusted to you. Give them time. Step up to the challenge."

"They have made it pretty clear that they don't want me though."

"So change their minds, but if this continues then it will be something that we will hammer out in group. Until then, step up to the challenge Scott. It will do you good." With that Peter was gone.


	6. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All the usual disclaimers apply here. I don't own the characters. Never have, never will, and have never claimed to. I am just borrowing some great characters for my own twisted enjoyment. 

Author's note: I am looking for someone that is very knowledgeable about Higher Ground and willing to check my fanfics for facts as well as someone I can bounce ideas off of for future fan fics. If you are interested, please email me at SwtMelodie@aol.com. 

And without any further adieu, here is the latest installment. Enjoy and please leave a review, either positive or negative. I know you felt something when you read it.

"Hey Soph," Peter called when he finally found her in the main lodge cleaning up. He then snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How are things going?"

"Not too bad, how about you?" She responded before turning around to face her mountain man.

"Scott's having a difficult time. Has he or any of the other Cliffhangers said anything to you about his return?"

"Nope, but I did get the impression from Juliet that things weren't going too well."

"What did she say," he wondered hoping to find that one piece of information that would prove useful in reuniting this group.

"It's not what she said as much as the way she said it, or rather the way she was acting. She alluded to the fact that certain members of the group were dealing with trust issues as far as Scott is concerned."

"I think this is going to be more difficult then I first imagined," he said sitting on the edge of the couch and pulling her close.

"I've never known you to give up on a challenge Peter. You have conquered things far bigger then this and if anyone can get them all back on the same page it's going to be you."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence. So what do you say we get out of this place early? Jeff can hold down the fort for us."

Glancing down at her watch and then back up at him, she said, "Peter. It's only six o'clock and I was hoping to get in a group session tonight to discuss Scott's return."

"Maybe it would be best if we wait till morning though." He suggested.

"But Peter, we always have group the night a new student joins the group. Why are we treating this any differently?"

"Because it is different Soph. Scott has a history with these people and vice versa. They are all on the edge emotionally because of this return and I don't want them to say things they might regret. Scott has already expressed an interest in changing groups and I don't want them to feed that incentive to leave just yet. I think that if we give them the night to sleep on things we will get a more accurate reading on where everyone stands and perhaps their reactions will change."

"Whatever you say. You're the boss." She said before leaning in to kiss him. "So, is it your place or mine?"

"Speaking of that. When are you going to give up your trailer?"

"I just like to have a place I can call my own, that's all."

"Come on Soph. Make the commitment. Move in with me. We spend almost every night at my place, which is really our place and we are getting married after all."

"Can we go now?"

"Fine, but this conversation isn't over."

"OK," she said kissing him once again.

Before Peter and Sophie left for the evening they decided to check out the dining hall to make sure everyone was still alive. When they arrived they found the Cliffhangers scattered all over the cafeteria, but what disturbed them more then anything was that Shelby was nowhere to be found again and Scott was sitting by himself still being shut out by the Cliffhangers. Walking over to the table where Juliet and Daisy were sitting, Peter asked about Shelby's whereabouts only to find that she stayed back in the dorms again. He had now officially become fed up with her thinking that she could operate on her schedule and not deal with the consequences of how it affected others in the group and turned towards the girls one last time and said, "OK ladies. You know how it works around here. If one of you stays down, you are all down. Now get your dinner and head back to the bunks." He said before turning and heading towards the other end of the cafeteria to speak to the boys. "Oh, and ladies, get something for Shelby."

"You didn't make us do this the other day when she refused to come for dinner. Why do we have to this time?"

"Because Juliet. I made the exception last time because Shelby was hit hard by the news that Scott was coming back. She needed to be alone. Now she needs you guys, so go!" He said and this time he continued walking not giving either girl another moment to protest. While he heard mumbling and groaning behind him he continued with the next item on his agenda: assigning the Cliffhangers boys kitchens before sending them to the dorms for the rest of the evening as well. "Gentlemen," Peter said when he found himself in the middle of where they had all split up, "I want you to finish up dinner and evening chores and then it is to the dorms for the rest of the night for you as well. You've got an hour and Jeff will be checking in on you to make sure you are there so no funny business. If one of you isn't in the dorm in one hour then you will all be spending the next week on room restrictions." Peter was gone before anyone could protest.

"This bites," Daisy said as she and Juliet walked up the front steps to the dorm. "You just want to sit out here for awhile instead?"

"Yeah, but let's wait until after Peter and Sophie come and do a cabin check as you know they will. It's like they don't trust us to make it back on our own."

"I know. When did we ever give them the impression we were untrustworthy?" Daisy said with a giggle before pulling open the door and walking in. She then walked within five feet of Shelby's bed and tossed a brown paper bag at her. "Dinner is served."

"Thanks. Now why don't you get lost?"

"No can do. Peter seems to think we don't get enough quality time as it is so we are stuck here with you as long as you continue this poor me pity party of yours. But we really should thank you because at least we got out of kitchens tonight."

"Whatever," Shelby said from her position on the bed. 

"Suck it up Shelby. Scott's back. Deal with it." Juliet said, finally having enough.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion on anything, princess."

"Yeah, well I'm offering it anyway. Your actions are now starting to effect the rest of us. If I am stuck here all day tomorrow because of you, I am going to be so mad."

"And just what are you going to do to me princess?" Shelby asked in her usual sarcastic tone. It took a confrontation from Juliet to get Shelby to temporarily snap out of her funk. "Besides, we both know you aren't looking forward to tomorrow. You hate to sweat."

"Yeah, but it's a nature hike with Jeff and we don't get many opportunities like this. It's always Peter and Sophie watching us like hawks so Auggie and I have been planning this for days."

"Little Miss Goody To-Shoes is planning to sneak off? I'm impressed."

"Yeah? Then don't go and ruin it by being your typical mean self."

"Come on Jules," Daisy said pulling her by the arm and leading her outside. "Don't get yourself all worked up."

Back in the dining hall, Auggie was moping the floor as quickly as he could. He knew their hour deadline was fast approaching and tomorrow was far too important to him to jeopardize by not meeting Peter's deadline and being back in the dorms when he said so. The thought of leaving everyone back here in order for him to make it back had crossed his mind numerous times, but the words of Peter rang through his head. If you aren't all back then you are all on room restriction. All of us. "You guys almost done?" He called back into the kitchen.

"Yeah," he heard in a chorus of replies.

"Good. We have eight minutes to finish up and get back to the dorms. Hurry up."

"What's the rush man?" David asked coming out from the kitchen.

"We can't be late tonight and run the risk of Peter being mad. Jeff will tell on us in an instant and I can't be on room restriction tomorrow. I got plans with Juliet tomorrow during the hike and being stuck in the dorm with you guys isn't part of them."

"What kind of plans?" Ezra asked joining David and Auggie in the main dining hall. 

"It's mine and Jules anniversary tomorrow and we were going to have some alone time during Jeff's nature hike."

"You the man, Augg." Ezra said. "I think this place is clean enough that you could eat off the floor. Let's get out of here."

Hearing Auggie and Juliet's plans made Scott angry. He wanted to be planning secret rendezvous with Shelby. He wanted to have anniversaries with her. He wanted to hold her hand and tell her how much he loved her. For once he wanted what Auggie has. He was so consumed by these thoughts on the walk back to the dorm that he did not see when the others took off running towards the dorms. As he got closer he heard them hollering at him to run and he looked up to see Jeff standing there with a watch. "Ten seconds Scott."

"Run Meat," Auggie encouraged and before he knew it, something inside of him kicked in gear and he starting running faster then he thought he could ever go. When he made it up the steps he was out of breath and panting hard.

"I hope that this is the last I see of you gentlemen tonight." Jeff said before heading down the steps.

"Did I make it?" Scott asked in between breaths.

Jeff continued walking not letting them in on whether he made it or not. 

The next morning found Shelby back in the same bad mood that had plagued her the previous few days. As a result Juliet and Daisy were none too happy. Across the way, the male Cliffhangers were in an equally bad mood towards Scott when the go up and found a note informing them that they were cabin bound today based on the fact that they were out past curfew last night. The cabin restrictions lasted until late afternoon when Peter decided it was time for everyone to hash out their feelings for one another and have the group session that he had talked Sophie out of last night. Peter allowed Sophie to run group as she would have any other time, but he also insisted on sitting in.

By four o'clock, the Cliffhangers began to drift in. First came Auggie and David, closely followed by Scott and Ezra. The girls came in shortly thereafter and took the remaining seats in the circle. Shelby, being the last one to enter the lodge was left with one of the seats by Scott. She sat herself in the seat but positioned herself so that she was sitting as far away from him as possible. "Glad we could all make it," Sophie said even though she know not one of these people sitting in front of her right now had the guts to skip group. They were all well aware that their presence was mandatory. "As I know you are well aware by now, Scott has rejoined our group, but I can see that we have not all welcomed him back with open arms. How has his return made you guys feel?" Everyone just sat there, silently fidgeting in his or her seats. "If no one is going to volunteer to start, I am just going to start picking on people. We will all have an opportunity to say something. There is no hiding here." Sophie said trying to inspire someone to go first.

"I'll go first," Juliet said raising her hand.

"Thank you Juliet. When I first heard Scott was coming back, I felt…"

Taking her cue from Sophie, Juliet said, "when I first heard Scott was coming back I felt scared." 

"Would you care to elaborate on that," Sophie asked. "And please direct your feeling towards Scott. 

Shifting in her seat so that she was now facing Scott, Juliet started again. "I was scared when I heard you were coming back. Scared for you. Scared for us. Scared for me. I was scared at what might have happened to you when you got back home. I know for you to decide to come back, it had to be something pretty bad. Did your stepmom do something to you again? Did you turn towards drugs again? Was the pressure to succeed too much? I had all these questions that still have no answers so I was scared. I was scared at what it meant for this group. How would your coming back effect the group dynamics again. What I was most scared of though was that your coming back meant that there was something out there in the real world that you could not handle and what hope does that give the rest of us? You were always the strongest and if you could not make it, then how am I supposed to?" Juliet then broke down in tears. What no one really knew though was that was her greatest fear in life, that she would never be able to handle the pressures in the real world again. She was always going to need help. To rely on someone to help her get through the day. Auggie reached his hand over to where Juliet was sitting and gave her hand a squeeze as a sign of support. 

"Auggie, it's you turn." Sophie said trying to bring order back to the group.

"I think he already knows how I feel about his return," Auggie said before turning his attention back to Juliet who was finally starting to regain her composure.

"That's good, but now you need to share it with the group."

"I was shocked, then I was mad. Are you happy, I shared."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah!"

A simple look in Daisy's direction let her know that she was next in line. "I have to agree with Juliet in that I was scared, but not so much for him or myself," she started before being cut off by Sophie.

"Please direct this towards Scott. Speak to him directly."

"OK," she said turning towards Scott. "I wasn't scared for you or me as such as I was scared for Shelby because I didn't know how she was going to handle your return. I remember how she was when you left last time. I was the one that had to pick up the pieces and I didn't think she could take that kind of pain again if you decided to pick up and leave again just like that."

"Thank you Daisy. David, would you care to go next?"

"Sure. When I first heard you were coming back, I was relieved."

"Relieved?" Scott asked shocked by that reaction.

"Yeah man. I was relieved. Odds are only one out of four of us is going to be able to readjust to life on the outside again and when you came back, my odds instantly got so much better, so thanks man for being a failure."

"That's enough David," Peter said from his position in the back of the lodge. "Reactions like that will not be tolerated."

"But that's how I feel and isn't that what this place is all about, feeling?"

"Not at someone else's expense it's not."

"Just what's wrong with him sharing his feelings Peter?"

"Because Auggie, that's not a productive way to go about things and you should know that by now. Besides, I don't remember you sharing too much so you aren't in a position to be talking about other people and what they share," Peter said in an effort to push Auggie into revealing where his anger lied.

"You want me to talk about my feeling, fine, I'll talk about my feelings. Life around here was finally starting to get back to normal and he comes back to mess things up again. Nobody is happy to see him back."

"I am," David piped in.

"Shut your mouth fool," Auggie responded, "or I'll shut it for you."

"You don't have to be so mean to him, or to Scott, Auggie." Juliet said trying to calm him down.

"Don't defend them Jules."

"Don't yell at me!"

"Then stay out of this." This led Auggie to start yelling at Juliet and before Peter and Sophie could say anything, there was full-fledged yelling going on behind them. Emotions that had been built up for the past few days boiled over and everyone was yelling at each other, but Peter and Sophie were unable to pinpoint the exact cause. 

Walking over to where Peter was still sitting, Sophie asked, "what are we going to do with them?" as the screaming continued to escalate behind them.

Putting two fingers in his mouth, Peter blew as loud as he could and successfully got everyone to be quiet and had their attention. The shouting that had been going on moments earlier was proceeded by a deafening silence. "OK Cliffhangers, now that I have your attention I want you all packed and in the lodge in 20 minutes."

"Where are we going?" Juliet whines.

"On an overnight. Now those that aren't in the lodge and ready to go will go without their packs and will be on shuns for the next month, no talking to anyone, chores, and isolation from everything. Got it?" Peter demanded no longer able to control his frustration with the group.

Everyone stood there silently looking at each other, unable to find the words.

"What are we all still standing around for? GO!"

As they began walking away there was a chorus of "This isn't fair," and "This is all your fault."

"So, just what do you have in mind for them?" Sophie asked.

"I'm not too sure yet, but this fighting has got to stop. You know I could sure use your help. Are you up for an overnight?"

"You know me, I'm always up for an adventure."


	7. Default Chapter Title

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay in getting this part up. I was hoping to have it finished before school started, but I missed that deadline. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the finale, and I hope that you will stick around and see what happens to the Cliffhangers in my next fan-fic. I want to take a moment to thank those of you that hung in there throughout this whole process and took the time to leave my your kind reviews. They helped keep me motivated and not so afraid to post.

When Peter and Sophie arrived in the lodge some time later, everyone was present and accounted for and all at opposite ends of the lodge. "Well, at least we aren't yelling at each other again." There was a slight pause before he continued. "Are we ready to go?"

"Why do I have to go? None of this is my fault!" Juliet whined again.

"Shut up princess," Shelby yelled at her. "You are as much at fault as anyone else here."

"And just how do you figure that?"

"If you and Auggie hadn't been so wrapped up in yourselves and your relationship you wouldn't have felt the need to sneak off during Jeff's hike and you would have been grateful to me for allowing you to miss out on a hike. You wouldn't have cared that you missed."

"Excuse me!?!" Peter asked from the back of the room. "Juliet, is there something you or Auggie wants to tell me?" He said glancing first from Juliet and then to Auggie and then back to Juliet again.

"Thanks a lot Shelby!" Juliet said.

"Let's not be blaming Shelby for this. It was you and Auggie who were going to disobey the rules."

"Yeah, but she didn't have to nark on us like that."

"Stop passing the blame Juliet. We will discuss the issue of you and Auggie breaking the rules when we get back. We need to get going now while we still have some light left."

As everyone was picking up their packs, Auggie walked over to Juliet and asked her why Shelby would even know about their plans. "Because Auggie, I thought for once she would be human and stop sulking around if she knew someone had plans. She knows…"

"God Jules. When are you going to learn that Shelby isn't human. She cares nothing about anything. How could you be so stupid?"

"Don't call me stupid."

"That's enough you two. Now let's get going."

"You know if you had just been adult enough to deal with Scott and your feeling we wouldn't be in this position right now," Juliet said to Shelby as they were heading out of the lodge.

"I don't remember asking what you thought," Shelby said as she picked up her pace to get away from Juliet.

"God Shel, Do you have to be such a bitch to everyone?" Auggie asked, coming to Juliet's defense.

"I don't need you to defend me to her. I can stand up for myself."

"Fine, Jules. I was only trying to help."

"I don't need you help," she said before walking away from him and leaving him to bring up the rear all by himself.

After a long hike, they finally arrived at the campground just as the sun was drifting down behind the mountains. Peter informed everyone that if they did not work quickly to set up their tents and find wood for the fire, they would be forced to attempt to set up the tents in the dark and it would be a cold night.

"So Peter, are you ever going to tell us what we are doing in the middle of nowhere this late at night?"

"Learning to get along Auggie. I'm tired of the bickering and the name-calling and the fighting and it has got to stop. Now I suggest that you guys think about getting to bed soon. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." With that he and Sophie headed off to their respective tents to get some sleep.

"And just what do you expect us to do out here oh fearless leader?" Daisy asked in a tone that was more mocking then inquisitive and temporarily stopped Peter in his tracks.

"Sleep," he said before disappearing completely.

About three in the morning, movement outside his tent awakened Ezra. Slipping on his shoes and jacket, he grabbed his flashlight and headed out to see what was going on. Glancing around, he was about ready to chalk the noises up to his imagination when he saw a figure sitting against a log in the dark next to where the fire used to be. As he got closer, he realized that the dark figure was Shelby.

"Hey Shel, what are you doing out here?" he whispered.

After a quick wipe of her face to remove and tears that might have stained her cheeks, she looked up and said, "contemplating my life's existence and it's a one man job. What are you doing out here?"

"I heard noises and thought I would come check things out."

"You have. I'm here. I'm fine. Now why don't you go away before I feel compelled to kill you."

"Why do I feel as though that is a promise you would have no trouble keeping," he said as he sat down next to her. "why are you crying?"

She wiped the tears again before muttering, "of all people to see me like this, it had to be you."

"You still love him, don't you Shel?"

"What?" she asked getting defensive?

"Scott. You still love him, don't you?"

"What do you think?" 

"I think that if his returning is causing you this much pain then maybe the two of you need to be apart right now."

"How could you possibly know what I need or how I feel?"

"Yeah, you're right. How could I possibly know anything about pain and how hard it is to let people go. The pain of knowing that even thought the two of you are probably meant for each other, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are right for each other right now, but you're right. I know nothing about loving someone so much that you want to scream or hit something," he paused for a moment and looked over at her, "or sit alone in the dark and cry."

"Who could you possibly love so much that it hurts?"

A simple raise of his eyebrows and a nod in the direction just across from where they were sitting gave Shelby all she needed to know. "You and Daisy?" she asked trying to contain her laughter.

"Yeah, why is that so hard to believe?"

"For starters, she dumped you for David."

She didn't dump me." He said getting all defensive. "Technically we were never really together, but she'll be back."

"You really do care about her don't you?" Shelby asked now feeling a bit more sympathetic towards Ezra.

"More then I think she could ever imagine."

"Does she know how you feel?"

"I tried to tell her once, and she probably told you how that one went, but I think she thinks I want her now only because David does. The truth is I never wanted to let her go. I wanted to run after her the day she told me we could only be friends. I wanted to run after her and stop time and make her realize how right we were for each other. I didn't want to let her walk away from me, but I had to Shel. I had to let her find her way back to me on her own. One day we will find our way back to each other, and so will you and Scott."

"I had no idea you had such deep feeling for her."

"Yeah, well, no one else knows so please don't advertise this latest piece of information."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"As is yours with me," he said before reaching out and putting his arm around her shoulders.

They sat together silently looking up at the stars before Ezra suggested that they should get to bed. "Who knows what Peter and Sophie have in store for us tomorrow, but we will probably need to be well rested. It's probably going to be a long day."

"Yeah, I guess your right."

Ezra then got up before offering a hand to Shelby and pulled her up off the ground. 

"Hey Ezra."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Thanks," she said before disappearing into her tent. Her thanks came as a surprise to him and cause a quick smile to creep across his tent. She really is human sometimes, he thought to himself before heading into his own tent.

Peter was up before the sun getting everything ready for the day ahead. When he was done packing up his tent he went in to gently wake up Sophie. "Time to wake up sleepy head." He said as he shook her shoulder. 

"What time is it?"

"Quarter after six. Now come on. Get up."

"What's going on? Are the kids OK?"

"Yeah, they are still asleep, but we need to get going. I'll explain it all later." The two quickly packed up Sophie's tent and all her belongings before they headed out of earshot in the woods. They weren't ready to wake anyone up just yet and Peter was afraid that they might wake up while he was discussing his plan with Sophie. 

"Do you think they can really make it back on their own?" Sophie asked once she heard Peter's plan.

"I have no idea. We will find out soon enough, but that's why I want you to shadow them back. Make sure they don't get too lost, but at the same time, don't interfere unless there is threat of bloodshed. They need to discover the wonders of teamwork." Peter said leaning in to give her a kiss good-bye. "I'm sorry I can't stay with you, but we have that new student coming in today and someone needs to be there to check her in."

"Don't worry about us Peter. We'll make it back alive. At least most of us will anyway," She said with a smirk on her face.

"See ya when you get back." He said waving good-bye to her as he headed back to Horizon.

Sophie sat off in the distance for awhile cursing Peter for picking such a cold morning to do this until she started to hear commotion coming from the camp.

"Anyone know where Peter and Sophie went?"

"They are probably still sleeping Freakin now would you please be quiet so that the rest of us can as well." Shelby hollered from inside her tent sounding more and more like her old self.

"Then how come their tents are gone?" he asked bringing everyone out of his or her tents.

"They really are gone," Juliet said when she got out of her tent and looked in the direction of where they were last night.

"I told you they were gone. Didn't you believe me?" 

"Why would they leave us out here?" Juliet asked.

In the distance Scott is walking towards a brown box that is sitting in the middle of the campground but has been overlooked because of the disappearance of Sophie and Peter. As he got closer he noticed an envelope sitting on top which he picked up and opened. "Hey…listen to this." He said trying to get the attention of everyone.

"Listen to what?"

"Shhh," he said while signaling with his finger for everyone to be quiet. "Dear Cliffhangers. It has become painfully obvious in the last few days that not one of you knows the meaning of teamwork. As a result, this group has turned on one another making it impossible for anything to get accomplished. As you have now discovered, Sophie and I are gone and in order for you to make it back to Horizon, you will need to work together. We look forward to seeing you when you make it back, and hopefully by that time, you will have worked out the majority of your problems with each other."

"I can't believe they would leave us out here all alone,' Juliet whined again.

"Chill Jules. We'll get back." Auggie said.

After he finished the letter, Scott started to go through the box when he discovered a map, a compass, food and water. "Listen up guys," Scott said again, this time with a more authoritative tone, taking control of the incident. "I want everyone packed up and ready to move out in an hour. We have a long hike back. Was anyone paying attention on the way up here last night?"

"Certainly not the princess. She was too busy whining to pay attention," David said.

"That's what I was afraid of," Scott said before picking up the map to study it.

"I wasn't whining."

"I didn't say you were," Scott said, not even looking up from the map. "Anyone have a clue what direction Horizon is?"

"So, who put you in charge of getting us back, anyway?" Shelby asked smugly.

"If you want to take over, by all means, go right ahead, but I would like to get back to campus sometime this week."

"Are you saying that you are the only one who could lead us back?" Auggie questioned getting defensive.

"No, that's not what I said and you know it. All I said was I wanted to make it back to campus before dark and that's not going to happen if we sit around here and complain all day about who wants to take charge."

"I can't believe they left us out here," Juliet said yet again.

"Stop whining Queenie. They're probably just hiding in the woods somewhere. They would never leave us out here completely alone for fear of what we might do," Shelby said matter of factly. 

As if on cue, Sophie entered the campground and set her backpack down on the ground in the middle of all the Cliffhangers before reaching into it and pulling something out. "I need for all of you to come here," she said still hiding what she took out of her bag. When they had all come close, she revealed the handcuffs that Peter had left her with.

"What going on Sophie? I thought you and Peter were gone." Scott said.

"Just following orders, now Scott, Shelby, come here."

"You're not going to handcuff me to him, are you?" Shelby questioned while still walking towards Sophie.

"Do you want to explain to Peter why you didn't follow orders and participate?"

"Not particularly."

"Good." Sophie said while placing Scott's left wrist inside one end of the handcuff and Shelby's right one in the other. She then continued with Juliet, Auggie, David, Ezra and Daisy until they were all handcuffed together. As she was cuffing them all together, she tried to explain what was expected of them. 

When she was finished, David asked "how do you expect us to pack up all the tents and pick up our packs and carry all this stuff out of here if we are all stuck together?"

"I suggest you guys start working together. The only way you even stand a chance of making it is if you start to work as a single unit rather then the seven individuals you have been lately." She picked up her bag, gave the group a quick wave good-bye and started to head off towards the woods again before turning back to the group one last time and said, "if I may, I'd like to offer you guys one piece of advice." 

"What?" David asked.

"Remember that you are a team, and therefore only as strong as your weakest link." She said before she was gone for good.

"Well that would be a toss-up between Juliet and Ezra," David said getting a reaction out of everyone.

Everyone spent the next few moments standing around hoping Sophie would come back and let them out of this mess, but when she didn't come back, Shelby said, "Great! Now what?"

"We head back to Horizon." Scott said.

In their haste to get back to their stuff and pack up, everyone went in their own direction and were quickly pulled back to where they just were and landed in a hump on the ground. In their efforts to get up quickly, nobody could successfully make it to their feet because they continued to get pulled down by the rest of the group.

"Maybe we need to regroup here," Daisy said, tired of being pulled down. "How about if Scott and I get up first and we can work our way to the center, helping everyone up." With each one having one free hand, it was decided that Daisy's plan was a good one and the two succeeded in getting everyone up quickly. 

After a few hours of arguing and bickering and very little teamwork, the Cliffhangers finally managed to get the tents taken down and packed up. If they continue at this pace they are going to need to set those tents back up, Sophie thought. From where she was sitting, it looked as though Scott had taken the leadership role and was directing everyone else on how to pack things up. He then took the map out of his pocket and began to study it. He had been in this take-charge mode since he found out that they would have to hike back on their own. This was something she was impressed with, but at the same time, knew that if this didn't stop soon, everyone would start to regret and rebel. He needed to include them in the decisions that were effecting them and stop isolating people, but then out of the blue she heard him ask which direction they thought they should head in and a small smile crept across her face because it was like he was able to hear her thoughts.

"Must…stop…and…rest…now," Juliet panted after they had been moving for well over an hour. As she stopped for a moment to try and catch her breath, they all agreed now would be a good time to take a break and look at the map again amongst other things. Before she could even ask, Auggie reached into her backpack and retrieved her water bottle for her. 

"Here," he said unscrewing the top, "drink this."

"Thank you," she said in a tone that revealed that she was still made at him. 

"Jules?" Auggie asked.

"What?" she responded.

"Why you gotta go and be all mad at me still?" Auggie asked when she refused to look at him or talk to him after thanking him for her water. She would have asked someone else to put it away for her, but with Shelby on her other side, it was like choosing the lesser of two evils. After he put it back in her backpack, she turned to him and said, "because Augusto, you were mean to me. You called me stupid." She said standing up for herself. He knew from past experiences that when she called him Augusto that she was being serious and was mad at him.

"I'm sorry Jules. I really am. It was just said in the heat of the moment. I was mad that our plans were ruined and then I was really mad when Shelby went and told on us anyway and I took it out on the wrong person. I should have taken my anger out on the people responsible," he said glaring at Scott and Shelby.

As Auggie began to get up and head towards Scott, Juliet grabbed him by the arm and forced him to sit down again. "Don't start again Auggie. Just let it go."

Everyone continued to sit in silence for awhile until Shelby got the courage to ask Scott the one thing that had been on her mind since the minute she heard he was coming back, but was never able to ask him. Without making eye contact with him, she quietly asked, "why did you come back?"

"I came back because I love you."

"I thought you came back the first time because you love me, but you didn't. I know that I'm not the reason you came back because you wouldn't stay for me." She said before going back into silent mode.

After awhile of the silence, Scott couldn't take it anymore. "OK, I get it. You're not happy to see me, but how long do you plan on staying mad at me?" Scott found himself asking before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

Everyone then turned his or her attention towards the subject of the next question. "You're serious aren't you?" Shelby asked.

"Yeah, Shelby. I am serious. People come and go from here all the time. Heck, even you left. Why are you having such a hard time accepting the fact that I came back?"

"OK, fine Scott. I was happy the first time you came back. I thought you came back for good because we meant something to each other, but then you turn around and leave again. Why should I bother to get excited to see you again when you are just going to pack up and leave again whenever you feel like it. You are not worth the emotional roller coaster."

Scott sat there stunned for a few moments. He was finally realizing where her hurt and anger were coming from, especially when he put himself in her place. How would he have felt if he was in her position, but that still could not stop him from voicing his next thought, "You mean WERE not worth it. You and me Shelby. What you are saying is that were not worth fighting for in your eyes."

"Yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying Scott. We're not worth it."

"You can't mean that Shelby. I know that night after the morp meant something to you because it meant something to me. It was special."

"God, you are so dense, aren't you? That night could have meant the world to me and that's why it hurt so much that you left the next day. That just proves that that night meant nothing to you." Shelby then sat there silently for a moment trying to collect her thoughts. She knew that she and Scott were eventually going to have this conversation they just did, but she never expected it would happen in front of everyone. After a few minutes she calmly looked at Scott and asked, "why did you really come back." She could tell that he had been hiding something from her and she needed to know exactly what it was. If nothing else, maybe it could help her move past these feeling she was still having for him. While it might hurt, she thought she could get over him if she heard he had another girlfriend and he turned towards drugs again.

"Truth?"

"That would be nice for once."

"Truth is, things weren't the same when I got back home. I expected to go back and play football, to be the star again, get recruited to play college ball and everything would be like it was before I left. I went to the first practice to find out that I was no longer a starter. I had been replaced. Coach said something about needing someone reliable to win the Conference Championship, so I quit and that brought out my dad's true side again."

"What do you mean again?"

"I mean, when I walked out of here the first time, he said he blamed me for what happened with Elaine. He said it was all my fault. I let it go that night because I really wanted to play ball again and to be normal for once. I lost any respect for my father that day, but I needed to play football. So, you see, while I really wanted to come back to be with you, I needed to give things with my dad a try. I'm glad I did because now I know that this is where I belong. I belong here with you. I needed my reason for coming back to be more about me then you for things to work out with us." Shelby just sat there, refusing to make eye contact with him. She was torn about whether to be happy about him coming back or hurt. "It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make Shelby, you've got to know that." He said kneeling in front of her and trying to look her in the eye. "I wish I had never had to choose between you and my dad, but I needed to give it a try. Leaving after the prom was the hardest thing, but coming back to you was the easiest ever. I was and still am so lost without you Shelby. I need you." She just sat there coldly starring past him. He just poured his heart out to her and it was like she had no reaction to it. It was almost as though she felt nothing.

Getting up, she quickly wiped away the tears that were about to stream down her face and said, "we should probably start back again."

"But Shelby…" Scott called, but knew that continuing this conversation was a lost cause.

The rest of the hike back was done with very little conversation with the exception of checking the map and making sure everyone agreed on the next choice of direction.

Peter was waiting outside the lodge, sitting on the steps when the cliffhangers finally emerged from the woods. They all looked tired and hungry and dirty, but they all made it back safely. Sophie was not far behind them, and when they reached the tables out front, they all sat down while Sophie fished around in her backpack for the keys. 

"I have never been so happy to see this place," Juliet said.

"Tell me about it. I would take chopping wood any day to this new form of punishment you guys have come up with." David commented.

"That can be arranged," Peter said with a smile. He was glad to see that they could still joke around a bit and make light of the situation.

"Thanks, but no thanks." David said before realizing that it was time for him to be quiet before he ended up on wood-chopping duty just because Peter felt like it.

While Sophie was uncuffing everyone, Peter said, "I want you guys to get cleaned up and then head to the cafeteria and find something to eat. Juliet, Auggie, I would like to talk to you in my office before you leave." They picked up their stuff and followed Peter to his office where they took seats in the chairs across from his desk. They were well aware of what was about to go down, but were hoping he would just forget. "There is the little issue of the two of you planning on sneaking off that we need to discuss."

"Don't you mean the issue of punishment," Juliet said sarcastically.

"If you want to get technical, that's correct Juliet. Now would either one of you like to plead your case before sentencing begins?" Peter asked, acting very much like a judge. 

They looked at each other before looking back at Peter and shaking their heads. They both knew there was nothing they could say to get them out of trouble. "Well then, Juliet, for the next two weeks I expect the bathrooms to shine because you will have bathroom duty."

"OK," she said without an ounce of enthusiasm.

"I'm not done yet. On top of that, you will get up and join the group that has morning kitchens and you will be in your room two hours before lights out." When Peter handed down the stiff punishment to Juliet, Auggie knew that he was really upset and that he would take no mercy out on him either. "Auggie,"

"Yeah," Auggie said with fear in his voice. 

"Windows. You will be washing every single one on this campus for the next two weeks as well as making sure every piece of trash is picked up off this campus. On top of that you are also to be in your room two hours before lights out. Understood?"

"Yeah," they both said in unison.

"Good, now get out of here and get cleaned up."

As they walked out of Peter's office, Auggie offered Juliet a bit of encouragement by letting her know that the two weeks would go by really quickly. As they walked by the picnic area, everyone except Sophie, was still hanging around waiting for them to return from Peter's office. They filled them in on their punishment as everyone headed off towards the dorms to get cleaned up, but Shelby stayed behind and just sat at the picnic tables alone. Scott turned back as he was leaving and decided to go over and talk to her. Maybe if it were just the two of them, she would talk to him. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked.

She just shrugged her shoulders so he took it upon himself to read that as he could sit down if he wanted. "There is something that I have been wondering ever since I left?"

"What's that?" She asked sounded as though she was really tired of talking about this subject.

"Why didn't you ask me to stay?"

She paused for a moment before asking, "would it have made a difference?"

Her irritated tone made him regret asking and prompted him to say, "guess we'll never know," before getting up and walking away from her. Shelby sat there watching him, hoping that he would come back, or at least turn around and glance back at her, but he never did.

"So, how did things go out there Soph?" Peter asked once she showed up at his office. She was giving him time to talk to Juliet and Auggie, but when she saw them walk out, she made a beeline to his office to discuss the day.

"Much better then expected if you ask me. It appears as though they have made great headway in overcoming a lot of the obstacles that have laid in front of them for the past few days," she said as they made their way over to the couch so that they could sit down and cuddle. 

"Really?" he asked, partly surprised and partly pleased.

"Yeah. Auggie and Juliet worked through their differences however brief they existed and Scott decided to explain why he came back and I think that was an important thing to come from the day. I think that they can now move past the fact that he is here."

"Scott told them why he came back?" Peter asked, shocked.

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I just am. I thought it would take longer, that's all. So, what did he say exactly?"

"Jut something about football not being what he expected, and how his dad didn't forgive him after all. It was really sad actually."

"Hum."

"Hum what? Is there something you're not telling me Peter?"

"Let's just say there is more to this return then what was said today," he said before going deep in thought. He made a mental note that he would have to find Scott and find out what was going on with him. From what Sophie had just said, Peter assumed that Scott told them the whole truth, but rather it sounded like he was telling them what he thought they wanted to hear, or maybe what he really wanted to say. It's a tough lesson to teach and one even harder to learn, but the only way he can begin to start healing is to be honest with himself. "I've been meaning to ask you, did any interesting info come of those essays you assigned the other day?"

"Actually yeah. I'm surprised at how seriously they all seemed to have taken them. Most of the time I get a bunch of joke papers and they have to rewrite them, but that doesn't appear to be the case this time around, unless they all got really clever and wrote papers that sounded real, but were completely made up."

"Not something I would put past this group."

"Me neither, but I think these were real, and that's what scares me."

"Scares you? Just who and what are we talking about?"

"There were a few, but mainly Ezra's scared me and for that reason I tend to believe that it was a serious thing."

"Just what did he say Soph?"

"That he is afraid that no matter what they say and what we tell him, he was the cause of his parents divorce. Deep down, he thinks they were fine until he came along."

"And I thought he was moving past that."

"Me too."

"Just out of curiosity, what did everyone else have to say?"

"Juliet is afraid that her mother's high expectations have caused her to raise her own and thus making her unable to survive on her own once she leaves here. It broke my heart when I read that. When is she going to realize just how strong she is?"

"I don't know, but we will have to work on that with her."

"Daisy's was surprisingly enough, death."

"You mean she's afraid of dying? I guess that would explain all the jokes about it. Eventually we are going to break through that defense mechanism though, even if it kills us. Anything else of interest?"

"The other two that stood out in my mind were Shelby and Auggie. I was surprised at how candid and honest they were, especially Shelby. She thinks that it is all her fault what happened to Jess. And on top of that, she thinks that she led Jess down the same road and she won't be able to forgive herself if anything happens to her. Auggie on the other hand is afraid of what is going to happen to him once he leaves. Essentially, that nothing he has learned here and no matter how much he has changed, none of it is going to matter when he gets home, because he can't go home."

"Can't go home? I wonder what he meant by that?"

"Just that he is afraid that his brother and former friends might drag him back into the world he left behind or make him pay for walking away from his 'family.'"

"That's going to be a tough one to work through, but I don't think his parents will allow him to go down that road again, and I would hope that by the time he graduates from here he will be strong enough to deal with that on his own. Anyway, since we went through just about everyone, why don't you fill me in on the remaining two. What about Scott and David?"

"Your guess is as good as mine there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that neither one turned in a paper. I just chalked Scott's up to him not knowing, but David needs to step it up a bit."

"Scott knew about the paper. I told him, but I'll talk to him and make sure he gets it to you soon. David on the other hand has no excuse. I guess it's a good thing he loves to chop wood huh?" They just sat there for a few moments in each other's arms before Peter said, "before I forget, I'm going to assign the new girl to your group."

"OK great. We could use some fresh blood around here. Who is she, and better yet, where is she?"

"Her name is Carrie and she is currently in the infirmary working her way through detox. She came in so high this morning that she needed restraints and the doctors gave her something to try and get her to calm down. I will understand if you would rather I not put her in your group though. She appears to have a lot going on."

"I'm up for the challenge. When can we expect her?"

"Not for a few days. Doctors want to keep her under observation for awhile. What do you say we head home?"

"Sounds good, besides, we've got some redecorating we need to do."

"Redecorating?"  
"Yeah, if I'm moving in, we need to make the place feel a little more feminine and we need to make room for my stuff."

Peter flashed her a quick smile before pulling her close to give her a kiss. For him, it now felt like they were getting married. Like they were truly a couple.

"Hey, how you doing?" Daisy asked, joining Shelby at the picnic table outside in the common area where she had been sitting since Scott left, what seemed like hours ago.

"Do you really care?"

"Wouldn't have asked if I didn't care Shel."

"Caring about me certainly hasn't been a priority for you lately, so why are you going to start now?"

"I'm here now. Why can't that be enough?"

"Because when I needed you the most, you turned your back on me. One of the hardest times in my life and you were with Juliet."

"I'm sorry Shelby. I really am, but I tried to be there for you. Tried to make sure you were OK, but you kept shutting me out. Every time I would reach out to you, you pulled farther away. I felt helpless."

"But Juliet?"

"Come on, she's not that bad."

"It's Juliet…"

"Anyway, who else was I supposed to go to? I was hurt that you wouldn't talk to me."

"But I wasn't talking to anyone."

"Even when you don't talk to anyone, you still talk to me."

"You never answered my question, why did you start to care now?"

"Well, I have always like you better then Juliet. Besides, she's probably going to be on toilets the rest of her stay here for that stunt she and Auggie were going to pull." Daisy said as she gave Shelby a quick smile and playfully hit up against Shelby's arm with her own. 

"Oh, I get it. This is just a pity make-up then?" Shelby said with a smile.

"I do nothing out of pity."

"Except maybe talk to Juliet."

Both of them smiled at that comment and Shelby even gave a quick laugh, something daisy hadn't heard in quite some time. Having talked to Shelby made Daisy feel so much better. For the past few days she was at a loss of what to do to help Shelby and she was lost without her. Daisy then put her arm around Shelby. It was all she could do to comfort her friend. Shelby eventually rested her head on Daisy's shoulder and Daisy then rested her head on Shelby's. While Daisy was still confused about how Shelby felt, none of that mattered any more. Nothing from the past few days mattered.

THE END


End file.
